The Mpls Downtown Improvement District (DID) announced today its 9th annual Greening & Public Realm Award winners, a group that included four first-time winners among the 12 categories decided by an interactive public vote.

The Greening Awards aim to showcase greening efforts by organizations and companies that help beautify the downtown area through enhancing our urban landscape. This summer’s voting turnout was the largest in Greening Awards history, nearly doubling the 2017 voting numbers.

Westminster Presbyterian Church, which last won a greening award in 2012, won two awards this year, claiming top spot in the Small Green Space and Public Realm Improvement categories.

Loring Greenway won a Greening Award for a record ninth straight year—winning Best Large Green Space. The Local won its seventh Greening Award (Best Façade Greening), Brit’s Pub won its sixth (Best Outdoor Café), Loring Park won its fourth straight Best Neighborhood award—by one vote over Downtown East, and The Commons won a Greening Award (Best Large Activated Space) for the third straight year since opening in 2016.

“The emphasis on quality public realm spaces we’re seeing from downtown businesses, organizations and individuals is extraordinary,” Mpls Downtown Improvement District President & CEO Steve Cramer said. “Congratulations to this year’s DID Greening & Public Realm Award winners, and thank you for being shining examples of how added greening helps enhance the vibrancy of everyone’s overall downtown experience.”

Winners will receive a commemorative Greening Award created by Wood from the Hood, a Minneapolis-based company that reclaims discarded trees from urban neighborhoods and creates high-quality wood products. Each award will display the year the award was issued. Winning locations also received a Greening Awards winning logo placed on site.

The Mpls DID accepted public nominations for green spaces throughout August, and finalists were announced on August 28. Voting for finalists remained open through September 14.

The finalists, nominated by the public, were selected by members of the Mpls DID staff based on criteria including overall year-over-year enhancements as well as continued excellence in adding vibrancy to the public realm.

The City of Minneapolis is seeking up to (three) 3 artists to collaborate on the design of public artwork for Samatar Crossing. Artists of any discipline - including spoken word, poetry, graphic design, and visual arts - are invited to apply.

Samatar Crossing is named in honor of Hussein Samatar, a former Minneapolis School Board member who was the first Somali-American elected to public office in Minneapolis. The crossing is symbolic of Hussein Samatar’s life and values. Samatar spent his life making connections between immigrant communities – especially the Somali community – and the mainstream. The bridge serves as a reminder of his work – as a reconnection between downtown and the West Bank.

Amount: $10-12,000 for participation in the design process for the project. There is approximately $120,000 in additional funding for the fabrication and installation of art.Deadline: All potential applicants must submit their Intent to Apply no later than 4 p.m., October 9. Early submission is recommended.

All eligible voters in Hennepin County can vote absentee — either in person or by mail — beginning Friday, September 21.

Vote early in person

In-person absentee voting will be available September 21 through November 5 at city halls across Hennepin County and at the Early Vote Center in downtown Minneapolis at 217 S 3rd Street. Each city location can accommodate voters who live in that particular city.

Voters who live anywhere in Hennepin County can in-person absentee vote at the Hennepin County Government Center — 300 S 6th Street, Minneapolis — skyway level. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Voters must fill out an application online or on paper to receive a ballot. Paper applications are available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Vietnamese, Russian, Chinese, Lao, Oromo, Khmer and Amharic.

Voters do not need to be registered to vote to apply to vote absentee. To make the process easier, you may want to register or ensure you are registered before applying for an absentee ballot.

Ballots will be mailed to voters within one to two days of receiving the application.

Completed ballots must be received on or before Election Day, November 6. Voters can return ballots by mail or in person.

The Elliot Park Hotel, a new 168-unit luxury hotel at 5th Avenue at 9th Street in downtown Minneapolis, will open on Thursday, September 20, 2018. Set to become a distinct downtown destination, the completion of the eight-story hotel is the final component of a comprehensive, mixed-use block development that also features Kraus-Anderson’s new home office, a 17-story HQ residential tower and Finnegan’s microbrewery.

Built by Kraus-Anderson (KA) and developed by Wilkinson Corporation, the upscale hotel is a member of the Marriott Autograph Collection®, featuring a unique design, inherent craft and a direct connection to the community. Hotel amenities include a fireside lounge, event space, meeting rooms and a fitness center. Coury Hospitality will operate the hotel.

The Elliot Park Hotel also introduces Tavola, a farm-to-table Italian restaurant designed to be inviting to both locals and hotel guests as a gathering place. Tavola will feature pizzas, pastas and steaks, and a wide variety of wines and craft cocktails.

Hotel valet service and the highly visible restaurant both have dedicated entrances off 5th Avenue.

Designed by ESG Architects, the hotel is created to fit into the fabric of the existing historic Elliot Park neighborhood. The property is a key part of a full block urban redevelopment that builds on the City of Minneapolis’ East Town vision to transform Portland Avenue and Fifth Avenue into widened vibrant, pedestrian oriented streetscapes, connecting Elliot Park to the new Commons Park and the Mill District.

“It’s been extraordinarily rewarding to see the vision of our hotel and the entire KA Block become reality,” said Mike Harral, vice president of development for Wilkinson. “This development has been a huge success for Wilkinson, thanks in large part to the long list of partners that have been involved with the design and construction. We are very excited to join the Marriott Autograph Collection and to begin operations on September 20th.”

The 1920’s was one of Minneapolis’ most successful decades. Buildings for business and residential use were popping up left and right as the city’s population went from roughly 380,000 to 464,000, which sounds an awful lot like this city in the 2010’s. Minneapolis was, and is, a bustling city. With people working long work days and tending to their families, the need to unwind and relax also grew. Social and athletic clubs were being established to cater to these needs, such as the Minneapolis Club, the Minneapolis Athletic Club, and the Minikahda Club. However, these clubs were very exclusive and were mainly for the city’s elite. Well what about those who couldn’t afford those high membership fees? This is were the Calhoun Beach Club comes in.

The future site of the Calhoun Beach Club as it appeared in 1926.

Harry Goldie, a former featherweight boxing champion and boxing instructor at the University of Minnesota, operated a boxing camp on the site of the soon-to-be Club in 1916. Throughout the years he would acquire more parcels of land around his camp, and in 1923 he had the idea to build the Calhoun Beach Club, an apartment hotel with space for an athletic club. During the next few years, Goldie would welcome more business partners, such as Earle Buell, an editor at the Minneapolis Star, and they would look for buyers for their club’s membership. To get the ball rolling, they gave honorary memberships to Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh, and French tennis champion Suzanne Lenglen. Soon after in June of 1927, a groundbreaking ceremony for their eight-story building took place. The cornerstone was laid in 1928, with the inscription "Dedicated to Healthful Recreation, A. D. 1928.” Construction continued for over a year until the stock market crashed, and the Great Depression halted any more work on the building.

The beach and Beach Club, 1940.

The building in 1944.

Harry Goldie would have to wait for WWII to come to a finish, and seventeen years later, in 1946, his Calhoun Beach Club & Apartments would officially open. His dream of having a social and recreational club that was affordable for the growing minority and working-class populations of Minneapolis came to fruition. The club lasted nearly a decade, but the financial burden was too much, and the building was transitioned to a hotel. During this time, the Calhoun Beach Club hosted many proms, parties, banquets, and wedding receptions. WTCN, now known as KARE, also had their radio and TV studios on the second and third floors of the building complex. These studios saw popular shows taped there, such as Lunch with Casey and Verne Gagne’s AWA All Star Wrestling.

In 1976, the building was sold to Robert Mecoy and Gary Benson, who hired Arvid Elness, Architects, Inc. to transform the building back into its original intended purpose as an athletic club. The swimming pool reopened, the radio and TV studios were renovated back into a gymnasium, the handball and squash courts were restored, and an outdoor tennis court, saunas, and a jogging track were also added. A couple decades later, Mecoy and Benson constructed a twelve-story apartment building adjacent to the Club in 1997, and soon after, the original Calhoun Beach Club began a restoration process and was converted back into apartments.

For almost 70 years, the Calhoun Beach Club has not only added to the beauty of the Grand Rounds and chain of lakes, but it also has served as a focal point for recreational and social events for thousands of Minneapolitans. From weddings to wrestling, the Calhoun Beach Club has seen it all.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville Jr. received his B.A. in History from the University of St. Thomas, and is currently enrolled in their M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies programs.

Michael is also a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 5+ years.

I wrote the following article about The Dignity Center over a year ago, but asked Mill City Times to re-run it to spotlight this amazing group yet again, and to let people know about their September 21 fundraiser. This will be an incredible event for an organization that does such important work.

The Dignity Center - Working with People to Achieve and Maintain Stability

Located on the grounds of the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, the The Dignity Center is housed in a beautiful old mansion. Built in the 1930s and eventually donated to the church, the Center is open 3 mornings a week: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00 – 11:30 AM. The front door remains locked, so that everyone who comes there is greeted by name and welcomed.

Mary Martin, the Director of Outreach, greeted me at the door and introduced herself. She is a dynamic and enthusiastic advocate for the work done here. The mission is to assist people to reach the goals they have in their lives by providing structure, support, and resources. It is free and open to all, but the requirement is for the people who come here to do the work. It is a unique relationship-focused program, and when people reach their goals they are welcome to volunteer at the Center.

When people enter the Center, they meet with an advocate to assess the nature of the problem and assist in setting steps needed to resolve that problem. The responsibilities of each client include:

Making and keeping appointments

Taking part in programs to help succeed

Following action plan and documenting progress

Staying clean and sober

The Dignity Center works with people to achieve and maintain stability. They work together on skills such as problem solving, decision making, organization and budgeting. Progress is measured as improved housing, improved financial situation, completed education and training, obtained employment, and supportive community.

In pursuit of its mission to support each person’s stabilization, the Center is a host site for the Volunteer Lawyers Network (VLN) brief legal services clinic. The on-site legal clinic allows clients to address their legal issues side-by-side with other issues creating instability in their lives. The VLN clinic is generally open on the same schedule as the Dignity Center.

At the VLN clinic, clients meet face-to-face with an attorney for approximately 30 minutes free of charge. The attorney will answer questions and/or refer people to other places for help. Clients will not receive any ongoing representation or ongoing services by the attorney. Any action taken after this meeting with the attorney is the client’s responsibility.

Attorneys can provide brief services, such as: writing a letter, making a phone call, obtaining specific information from a third party, drafting pleadings or a portion of pleadings, assisting in service of process, and providing written information regarding your legal issue and the next steps to take. Once again, any action taken after the meeting is the client’s responsibility unless a specific agreement has been crafted with the attorney in writing.

If you are interested in supporting the vital mission of this group, here are some ways to get involved:

Claudia is a resident of the Mill District. In addition to writing for Mill City Times, she is a founding Board Member of Friends of the Mill District. Claudia is the author of Health Through Chaos, mentors young adults at YouthLink, and has served on the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA).

ARTCRANK’s 2018 Minneapolis show will take place on Saturday, October 13 at the IDS Center Crystal Court. Staging a show in one of the most iconic buildings in Minneapolis is a far cry from the show’s DIY bike shop roots, but one thing remains the same: Affordable, bike-inspired poster art created by local artists.

This year’s edition of ARTCRANK features new bike-inspired posters created by more than 40 artists from around the Twin Cities. The artist roster is a near 50/50 split between first-time participants and returning artists, including perennial favorites Adam Turman, Amy Jo, Ellen Schofield, and Allan Peters.

“I fell in love with bicycling and ARTCRANK at the show in 2012,” said first-time ARTCRANK artist Andria Chinander. “Now, six years later, I’m honored to celebrate both as an artist.”

Given ARTCRANK’s history of showcasing top-notch talent and helping local artists make a name for themselves on what’s become an international stage, even longtime contributors feel the pressure to bring their best.

“ARTCRANK is the most exciting and stressful project I have all year,” said Todd Zerger, who’s done poster for shows dating back to 2012. But I love the energy: The pages of sketches. The crossed eyes at midnight trying to resolve details on the computer. All the ideas I throw away because they don’t quite rise to the occasion. The stress of trying to come up with something special that’s never been done before.”

For the fourth consecutive year, ARTCRANK is teaming up with Fulton Brewing to provide adult refreshments and benefit a local nonprofit organization. A portion of proceeds from beer sales will benefit the Minnesota Cycling Federation and its programs that introduce kids to the sport of cycling, let them try out racing for the first time, and learn how to ride like pros.

ARTCRANK is also partnering with IDS Center — which is donating the space for the event — and the mpls downtown council to create a showcase of all the ways that cycling is transforming the downtown neighborhood, from commuting to shopping to sightseeing. Show attendees will be encouraged to take advantage of the revamped Nicollet and arrive by bike, with free valet bike parking near IDS Center’s Nicollet entrance provided by the Cultural Wellness Center's My Bike Project, another longtime ARTCRANK partner.

“We’re thrilled that ARTCRANK will be returning to its roots here in downtown Minneapolis,” said Leah Wong, mpls downtown council vice president of external relations. “We have an incredible bike and art culture in Minneapolis, and we can’t wait to welcome ARTCRANK’s followers here to gather in our city’s core and celebrate the creativity within our community.”

ARTCRANK Show Details

When: Saturday, October 13, 2018 – 4:00pm – 10:00pm

Where: IDS Center, 80 S 8th Street (Show will be held in the first-floor space at the corner of 8th Street and Marquette Ave., just off the Crystal Court.)

What + Why:

Partnership between ARTCRANK, Fulton Brewing and mpls downtown council

Original limited edition prints by 40+ local artists – all sold for $50

ARTCRANK® is a poster show about bicycles. We make art as accessible as bikes are, and use creativity to change the way people think about cycling. Since 2007, ARTCRANK has introduced hundreds of thousands of people to handmade, affordable bike posters created by independent artists, holding live pop-up bike art shows in cities across the U.S., as well as in London and Paris. Bicycling Magazine called us "Cycling's Coolest Art Show," and named ARTCRANK founder Charles Youel one of its "Cyclists Who Are Changing The World."

Founded in 1955, and one of the most historic central business associations in the nation, the mpls downtown council (mdc) is a membership-based entity that works to create an extraordinary downtown. The mdc’s collaborative developments of Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan was designed to help downtown businesses, community leaders and citizens build on downtown assets and implement future goals.

Explore Downtown Living on September 22 offers new property tours, look at downtown Minneapolis residential life

Explore Downtown Livingis a FREE event that lets you tour Downtown Minneapolis and all it has to offer at your own pace. On September 22, visit 20 residential communities and see their roof decks, residential units, party rooms, fitness centers & more up close—all while learning about their surrounding neighborhoods and getting a sense of what the community has to offer.

This September, 365 Nicollet—a new property located at 4th and Nicollet—joins the tour and is available for viewing.

Through five previous event weekends, Explore Downtown Living showcased approximately 19,000 unit tours. During September’s event, you can get there (and around downtown) for FREE courtesy of Metro Transit’s Free Ride Pass. Print the pass at www.exploredtliving.com and ride free on September 22 from 9 am-6 pm.

Explore Downtown Living is produced by the mpls downtown council’s Intersections: The Downtown 2025 Plan’s Development Committee in partnership with Target, VON91, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine and the Mpls Downtown Improvement District. It’s goal is to help the 2025 plan’s efforts to double the downtown population by the year 2025.

Significant material delays push project completion back to early November

Recent work on the Boom Island-Nicollet Island Bridge rehabilitation project includes sandblasting and repainting of the bridge substructure, with deck installation scheduled to begin next week.

Unfortunately, significant material delivery delays and construction staging challenges have pushed back expected project completion to early November. All efforts are being made to reopen the bridge as soon as possible.

Please continue to follow the posted pedestrian and bike detours and stay out of the construction area. The Mississippi River East Channel below the bridge is closed to all boat traffic until the bridge reopens, so the Paddle Share kayak return station has been relocated to the Boom Island Boat Launch.

DanceCo is a local creater of original dance for young audiences and their families. They will be offering a free 30-minute movement class for 4-8 year olds followed by a 30-minute preview of their upcoming production, Which Witch is Which?

These sessions will take place at The Cowles Center, 528 Hennepin Avenue. You have two opportunities to bring the kids: September 16 and 23, 11:15am -12:30pm both days. The schedule is as follows:

Class size is limited to 15 participants plus accompanying adults, so register now (adult participation optional)! Within the class, participants will learn moves from the show so they can join in, the show is interactive.

Space and marketing support for this project is provided by The Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts through The Generating Room: Open Proposal Initiative. For more information, contact: Elyse Chambers, Education & Community Engagement Manager at echambers@thecowlescenter.org or 612-206-3643.

DanceCo's production of Which Witch is Which? runs October 16-21 at the historic Avalon Theater, 1500 E Lake Street. Ticket Info

Local artist Kat Corrigan is bringing her show Waterways and Otterways, a collection of river otter paintings, to our Stormwater Park and Learning Center. You are invited to join us for a series of interactive community events to celebrate the art and the animal that inspired it.

A lively puppet show will provide a fun way to learn about otters and their connection to the Mississippi River, while make-and-take coloring books and a community mural project will allow everybody to create their own otter artwork. These events are geared toward all ages.

The City of Minneapolis Public Works Department will be installing a concrete buffer protected bike lane on 11th Ave S. This project will include both installation of a concrete buffer adjacent to the bike lane and striping changes. Striping removal and installation will begin during the week of September 10th, and installation of the concrete buffer will take place during the week of September 17th. The striping work will be completed after the installation of the concrete buffer.

Please be aware that there will be crews working on the street during these activities. For much of the project, two way vehicle traffic will be allowed on 11th Ave S. However, during the installation of the concrete buffer during the week of September 17th, 11th Ave S will be closed to all but local traffic. A detour will be posted during this time. Access to driveways will be maintained, but please be prepared and give yourself extra travel time as there may be delays or you may be directed to go an alternate direction. Cross streets will be open to allow traffic across intersections. Parking meters will be hooded as necessary during this project.

Due to the equipment required to install the concrete buffer, the bike lane will be closed during all stages of the concrete buffer installation. Please be aware that there will be necessary work items set up in the bike lane, such as a string line and the pins holding it in place, and it is important that these items are not disturbed.

Disturbance of these items will increase the duration of the project. There will be no impacts to pedestrian access.

These construction activities may cause you some inconvenience. Please be patient and understanding as the work progresses.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding while we make these improvements to this area. If you have questions about the background of this project, please contact Nathan Koster at 612‐673‐3638 or nathan.koster@minneapolismn.gov. If you have questions about the construction activities, please call me at 612‐290‐5898 or tracy.lindgren@minneapolismn.gov.

You know summer is winding down when the first pumpkins of the season arrive, which they did at the September 8 Mill City Farmers Market. There are still seven more outdoor markets left this year, so be sure to take advantage of them!

As Vice President Joe Biden often said, "Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value."

On August 15, Mayor Jacob Frey presented his proposed 2019 budget. Now it will our job - as the City Council, and as a community - to study his ideas, suggest improvements, and make our budget the best reflection of our values that it can be.

My initial take: the Mayor got this budget discussion off to a great start, and deserves a lot of credit for a job well done. There's a significant investment in affordable housing, attention to racial equity in home ownership, business ownership, and financial power, civilianization of some police roles that could be better performed by specialists than by sworn officers, investments in clean energy, supportive for community public schools, and new approaches to snow removal, among just a few of the priorities from his today's speech.

Because of anticipated revenue from the new licensing fee schedule approved last month, and a sustained pace of growth, Mayor Frey was able to propose these investments with a relatively modest levy increase of 5.63%. A homeowner whose property value stays the same for 2019 would actually see their property taxes go down, not up. Since we initially thought that investments like these would have required a levy increase twice as high, I'm glad that's where we're starting the conversation.

As your City Council Member, one of my top priorities since taking office has been to support the creation and development of quality jobs and small businesses in every part of Minneapolis. I sit on the Economic Development and Regulatory Services Committee, and I strongly support the work of our Business Development team and Small Business team.

I want to find out more about the businesses that are already operating in our Ward, so I am requesting your participation in a short survey that I am conducting out of my Council office.

Your responses will help give us a better understanding of the economic activity in the Ward and how the City of Minneapolis can help your business thrive.

This survey is entirely voluntary, and we will not publish any individual responses without your permission; only aggregate data. It should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.

You can access the survey online via Google Forms at this URL: https://bit.ly/2mGP4JA. I would greatly appreciate your participation.

City Leaders, Community Partners Outline Action Plan to Assist People Living in Homeless Encampment

Mayor Jacob Frey joined Native American community leaders, social service providers and other government partners in announcing an action plan to help people living in a growing homeless encampment near Hiawatha and Cedar avenues in south Minneapolis.

The City and its partners are united in efforts to help connect people living in the encampment with critical resources and long-term solutions, including stable housing, health care and social services. Here are key elements of the coalition’s 100-day action plan that began Aug. 23:

Aug. 23 through Aug. 31: The focus remained on harm reduction at the encampment and meeting the emergency needs of residents related to safety and health.

September: Extensive outreach will continue to connect people with critical resources. An offsite location will be established with showers, bathrooms, medical personnel and housing service providers to serve members of the encampment. At the end of September, the encampment will close.

Oct. 1 - Dec. 1: The coalition will continue to provide housing placement and medical support for community members. Community and government partners will also focus work on long-term strategies to address housing stability, health concerns and the opioid epidemic. This includes the continued work of the Mayor’s Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force on Opioids and the convening of a housing stability task force.

How to help

The community response to the encampment has been swift and generous. Leaders within the Native American community are organizing donation collections. Find out how to help at franklinhiawathacamp.org.

City Celebrates Grand Opening of Samatar Crossing

I was so glad to be able to take part in the ceremony celebrating the opening of Samatar Crossing on August 23! This is a beautiful connection between the Cedar-Riverside community and Downtown, and a beautiful legacy for Hussein Samatar, who worked tirelessly to build bridges between communities. It was an honor to stand beside Hussein’s family, Mayor Jacob Frey, Council President Lisa Bender, Council Member Abdi Warsame, Transportation and Public Works Chair Kevin Reich, and all of the Public Works staff who made this a reality.

The City’s Public Works Department repurposed the former Fifth Street exit ramp to downtown Minneapolis into a welcoming pathway over Interstate 35W. Samatar Crossing features separate pathways for people walking and biking and new pedestrian-scale lighting. There are also plans for additional landscaping and public art along the crossing between 11th Avenue South and 15th Avenue South. The City has issued a call for artists and seeks up to three artists to collaborate on the design of an iconic public artwork for the crossing.

Samatar Crossing is named after the late Hussein Samatar, a former Minneapolis School Board member and the first Somali-American elected to public office in Minneapolis.

Public Utilities Commission Pulls Funds from Crown Hydro Project

On August 16, the Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to order Xcel Energy to terminate their grant contract with Crown Hydro. This is a significant victory for our community, and communicates clearly what we've been saying for a long time: that Crown Hydro's proposal is incompatible with the city's vision for a river that is accessible to everyone as a community benefit for all.

Both Mayor Jacob Frey and I have worked with our city's Intergovernmental Relations staff to achieve this ruling, and I'm hopeful that it signals a turning point in the fight against Crown Hydro's ill-conceived proposal. I'm grateful for the work of many in our community - especially Kjersti Monson and Friends of the Lock & Dam - who have worked to raise awareness on this issue and build a vision for what that stretch of river could mean to our community. I'll keep working to protect and improve a riverfront we can all enjoy.

Primary Voting Reaches Historic High in Minneapolis; City Hiring Election Judges for November General Election

Minneapolis served 93,534 voters in the August 14 primary election - the city’s highest turnout in a midterm primary since 1970!

Absentee ballots accounted for nearly 16 percent of total turnout this year, a sizeable increase compared to prior midterm election years, though most voters continued to cast ballots on the day of the primary. Minneapolis voters cast 78,540 ballots at the polls on Election Day, accounting for 84 percent of the final tally.

The City of Minneapolis Elections & Voter Services Division needs temporary election judges up to full-time from October 9 to November 9, 2018.

We are opening multiple Early Vote Centers for the week before Election Day (Tuesday, October 30, through Monday, November 5) and need election team members who will train for up to three weeks, then serve voters at one of four Early Vote Center sites. In addition, Elections & Voter Services needs staff for mail, Absentee Ballot Board, and warehouse operations during this period.

How do you travel around Minneapolis? The City wants to know and encourages you to take part in an online survey. Share your current travel habits and thoughts on what improvements could be made to the city’s transportation options and infrastructure. You can also enter to win one of two $25 gift cards if you complete the survey.

Public Works will use the information as it drafts the City’s Transportation Action Plan, which will guide City priorities for transportation projects and policies over the next 10 years. Over the next year, Public Works will work with the community to develop and gather feedback on the draft of the Transportation Action Plan. In fall 2019, Public Works will present the Transportation Action Plan to the City Council for approval.

Current work on the Transportation Action Plan will also identify specific actions for the City to take toward transportation goals and policies outlined in Minneapolis 2040, the City’s draft comprehensive plan. The City Council will vote on Minneapolis 2040 by the end of the year.

City Seeks Volunteers for Bicyclist & Pedestrian Counts September 11-13

Minneapolis Public Works is gearing up to conduct its Annual Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count, and you can help! Volunteers are needed to count the number of bicyclists and pedestrians at several locations around the city. The main days for counting will be September 11-13. All count shifts are from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Bicyclist and pedestrian counts are conducted in order to understand the impact of non-motorized traffic on streets, sidewalks, and trails. Accurate counts enable the City to plan and build for bicyclists and pedestrians, while tracking what’s successful and what should be done differently.

Minneapolis Public Works is also teaming up with Hennepin County this year, offering new counting locations outside of Minneapolis in first-ring suburbs. If you are interested, you can register online by visiting www.menti.com and entering the code 67 00 90 or by contacting Emily Kettell at Emily.Kettell@hennepin.us or 612-543-1963.

City Settles with McDonald’s to Pay Workers $20,000 Owed Under Minimum Wage Ordinance

The City of Minneapolis has entered into a settlement agreement with the McDonald’s franchise at 210 E. Lake St. to ensure workers are paid more than $20,000 in back wages and penalties owed under the City’s minimum wage ordinance.

The City’s Civil Rights Department discovered widespread underpayment of wages at the McDonald’s location after being alerted to the problem by community partners.

The Civil Rights Department will conduct a training for managers at the fast food restaurant. A separate roundtable discussion with ownership, managers and workers is also required as part of the settlement, creating a safe space for all to discuss workplace concerns.

The City’s minimum wage ordinance took effect Jan. 1, 2018, requiring large businesses with more than 100 employees to pay workers $10 an hour. On July 1, 2018, the minimum wage in Minneapolis increased to $11.25 for large employers and $10.25 for small employers (with fewer than 100 workers).

The tiered phase-in schedule requires large businesses to pay a $15 minimum wage by 2022 and small businesses by 2024.

Violations of the minimum wage ordinance can be reported by calling 311 or filling out an online form, or in person at City Hall, Room 239.

City Council Approves Layout for Hennepin Downtown Reconstruction Project

The City Council has approved the layout for a reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue from Washington Avenue South to 12th Street — a redesign intended to make the street more functional for all travel modes. The layout is consistent with a concept developed and approved by the City Council in 2016.

Highlights include:

Wider sidewalks.

One-way protected bikeways in both travel directions.

Four vehicle lanes, with Hennepin Avenue remaining a two-way street.

A narrowed roadway, which will reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians.

A consolidation of bus stops from 13 to eight.

The project team will now begin a detailed design phase and continue community engagement. For more information and to sign up for project updates, visit the Hennepin Downtown project website.

Submit a Route Idea for 2019 Open Streets

The City of Minneapolis and the City’s Open Streets event organizer, Our Streets Minneapolis, are seeking route ideas for the 2019 season. Applications are due Sept. 21.

Applicants can also share their interest in being a local route host. Routes that have had Open Streets events for the last two years do not need to apply for 2019 and will be considered along with other route ideas.

Open Streets Minneapolis encourages people to contact Nick Ray Olson, the organization’s event and program director, at 612-785-0722 or nickray@ourstreetsmpls.org before submitting a route idea.

More than 101,000 people participated in Open Streets events in 2017. For more information on this year’s events, visit www.openstreetsmpls.org.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Good Morning Ward 3 at Kramarczuk's

Join me for my next Good Morning Ward 3 on Wednesday, September 26!

Our guest speaker will be Minneapolis Fire Department Chief John Fruetel, who will discuss plans for a new Mobile Health Care Provider pilot program and a Mobile Integrated Healthcare study in partnership with Hennepin County to provide a variety of healthcare and social services to our city.

Council Member Fletcher holds regular open community office hours at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesdays at a rotating neighborhood coffee shop in Ward 3 for constituents to drop by, ask questions, and raise any issues you see in the community.

Coffee With Your Council Member

All are welcome! RSVP on Facebook or just show up. If you want to discuss a specific issue or project, email matthew.crockett@minneapolismn.gov and we'll add you to the agenda.

I rolled into the September 1 Mill City Farmers Market around 9am, just in time to get my share of the tastiest apples currently available. Below, Brian Fredericksen of Ames Farms holds one of the last First Kiss apples from this years harvest. Anticipating the demand, he plans to plant more First Kiss trees, and cut back on other varieties, such as the Zestar.

The young farmers from Urban Roots always bring their A game to the market - fantastic produce beautifully displayed.

Below, Hunger Solutions, an organization that connects hungry people with local help, hosted a table to introduce shoppers to their programs. They work with both state and federal government to advance programs that tackle hunger on the large scale. They also work with food banks and shelves to distribute food on the smaller scale.

Long before the Minneapolis Convention Center started hosting events, such as the American Legion’s 100th Anniversary convention, the Industrial Exposition Building was home to many events and fairs. Sitting on the east side of the Mississippi River, the building towered over the riverfront and added to the already impressive sights of St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge. While it may not be there today, it served as an important event center for the city for many decades.

1910 photo of the building through an arch of the Stone Arch Bridge.

Planning for the Exposition Building started in 1885 to counteract an announcement made that same year by the Minnesota State Fair to call St. Paul their permanent home. Prominent Minneapolitans were upset with the decision, so they quickly came together and agreed to dedicate an impressive structure to host industrial expositions to compete with the yearly agricultural exposition held in the next city over. After passing on many architects, such as Leroy Buffington, who designed the Pillsbury A Mill and the second iteration of the State Capitol Building, the local firm of Isaac Hodgson & Son won the bid.

Photo of the celebration when the laid the cornerstone in 1886.

After acquiring land on 101 Central Avenue SE and considering the construction cost, the total amount it took to complete the building was roughly half a million dollars in 1886, or $13,400,000 in 2018. However, the 5.5-acre plot was donated by the city, and the $250,000 needed for construction was raised by the citizens of Minneapolis. Once the building would open, it would be free of debt. On April 29th, a ceremony was held to celebrate the laying of the cornerstone, and it was attended by over 5,000 people. Only taking three months to construct, the cream-colored brick and Mankato limestone building officially opened on August 3rd, 1886. The majority of the building consisted of a three-story hall that could be divided into smaller rooms, and the main feature of the building was an eight-story tower that was the tallest building in the city upon completion.

The building with the new 3rd Avenue bridge in the foreground, circa 1920's.

To celebrate this brand-new event center, they held their first exhibition on August 23rd. 50,000 people attended the first day of the exposition and saw guest speakers such as Archbishop John Ireland and Senator Cushman Kellogg Davis, who was also the state’s 7th governor. President Grover Cleveland and First Lady Frances Cleveland were also invited but could not make the event. Instead, he wrote a letter, which was read aloud to the many spectators.

“With many thanks for the kind message sent to us by the officers and directors of the Minneapolis Industrial Exposition, Mrs. Cleveland joins with me in tendering to them a hearty congratulations upon the auspicious inauguration of an exhibition which not only demonstrates the prosperity and progress of the great northwest, but also reflects credit upon a country whose greatest pride is the happiness and contentment of its people and their enjoyment of all the gifts of God. Mrs. Cleveland gladly complies with your request and will set in motion the machinery of the exposition. she now awaits your signal.”

— Grover Cleveland

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Standing by in New York, Mrs. Frances Cleveland flipped a switch and all of the machinery at the exposition turned on much to the excitement of the crowd. Running through October 3rd, the forty-day exposition attracted over 500,000 people.

The next significant event at the Industrial Exposition Building was the 1892 Republican National Convention. The ballot consisted of President Benjamin Harrison, who eventually won the nomination, James Blaine, William McKinley, Thomas Reed, and Robert Todd Lincoln, the first son of Abraham Lincoln. Harrison lost the presidential election to Grover Cleveland who then became the first president to serve two non-concurrent terms. Not only was this an important convention for Minneapolis, is was very important for the entire country as it was the first national convention where women could be delegates and vote. (They couldn't vote in the presidential election, however.)

Depiction of the inside of the building when the RNC was there.

The Minneapolis Industrial Exposition Building could never draw big crowds like they once did, and in 1896, it was sold to Thomas Janney for only $25,000. The few events that were held there for the next seven years were concerts, and in 1903, it was sold once again to Marion Savage, owner of the famous race horse Dan Patch, who turned it into the International Stock Food Company. In 1940, it was sold once again to Coca-Cola and torn down to make way for a new bottling plant. However, they did keep the eight-story tower to honor the history of the previous building. While it served an important role in the development of the Mississippi riverfront and was an attractive space to hold many different events that saw many visitors come to the city for the first time, the Minneapolis Industrial Exposition Building could never really compete with the Minnesota State Fair and eventually was lost to history. You win this time, St. Paul.

A 6th generation Minneapolitan, Michael Rainville Jr. received his B.A. in History from the University of St. Thomas, and is currently enrolled in their M.A. in Art History and Certificate in Museum Studies programs.

Michael is also a lead guide at Mobile Entertainment LLC, giving Segway tours of the Minneapolis riverfront for 5+ years.